In recent years, wireless communications have significantly evolved due to the advanced technology of smartphones, portable devices and the rapid growth of Internet of Things, e-Health, and intelligent transportation systems. Moreover, there are increasing needs of emerging intelligent services like positioning and sensing in the future intelligence society. Recent years have witnessed the growing research interests and activities in the communication and intelligent services in optical wireless spectrum, as a complementary technology to established radio frequency (RF)-based systems, to overcome the spectrum crunch and increases data rates in crowded locations, due to the limited transmission range and interference. The OWC technology offers advantages such as free license, wide bandwidth, inherent security, no RF electromagnetic interference and immunity to electromagnetic interference. The attractive applications of optical spectrum include high-rate OWC, ultra-violet tactic communication, blue/green underwater communication, visible light positioning and vehicular communication/sensing in intelligent transportation systems.
Nevertheless, the sophisticated application of optical wireless systems still faces a number of challenges including the channel/weather impairments (raining/fogging/heat/particle scattering), light pollution, compatibility with existing networks， lighting constraints, and user mobility and tracking. Extensive research and industrial endeavors have been devoted to increase the efficiency and reliability of optical wireless system, for both communication and other intelligence services. Growing number of publications, including journal/conference papers and book (chapters), as well as related technical events, has promoted the research activities of optical wireless system to a high level.
TOPICS OF INTEREST - (contributions are not limited to the following):
• All organic based visible light communication and sensing
• Channel modeling and characterization
• Channel capacity and achievable rate analysis
• Dimming, data communications in VLCs
• Free space optics (indoor, outdoor and under water)
• Hybrid RF/OWC technology
• Noise modeling for OWC
• Modulation, coding and detection for OWC
• Mobile-to-infrastructure and mobile-to-mobile optical communication
• Novel (photonic) devices and components OWC
• OWC and VLC networks: architecture, PHY/MAC design, cross-layer design etc.
• OWC applications in industrial IoT, D2D communications, and manufacturing
• OWC applications in intelligent transportation system, including trains and planes
• OWC networking
• OWC for space industry
• Underwater OWC communication
• Ultraviolet communications
• Visible light positioning